Sandra Johnson, who had worked for Rancho Mirage for 11 years, resigned May 23, 2017, the day after the Riverside County Sheriff's Department began an investigation into financial discrepancies.
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Sandra Johnson, left, and Brandi Perry appear in court for a hearing on embezzlement charges, March 21, 2018. The two women are due back in court in Indio in July with a preliminary hearing tentatively scheduled for Aug. 15, 2018.(Photo: Zoe Meyers/The Desert Sun)Buy Photo

A former code enforcement manager for Rancho Mirage and her sister-in-law were back in court Friday morning on charges that they embezzled nearly $80,000 from the city through “false” work orders.

Sandra Johnson, who headed the city’s code compliance department, and Brandi L. Perry, are scheduled to return to court July 10 at which time an Aug. 15 preliminary hearing date will be confirmed.

Johnson, now 51, had worked for Rancho Mirage for 11 years. She resigned her position as code compliance manager in May 2017 when another city employee found invoices with “false” charges for work done, including pools drained at vacant properties where pools had never existed.

Invoices and payments were sent to Perry, listed as owner of Perry Property Preservation and Perry Property Maintenance – both situated in Desert Hot Springs.

Court documents show that over 26 months the two embezzled more than $78,650 from the city.

Johnson, 51, and Perry, 41, were arrested in October, each charged with three counts of embezzlement and conspiracy to commit a crime. Each are out of jail on $79,000 bail.